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Résumé / Abstract

We report here our personal experience of 45 patients surgically treated with umbilical hernia and managed surgically at "Surgical Department from the Güemes Clinic of Luján, Province of Buenos Aires" over a 6-year period. From January 1996 to December 2000, a total of 45 patients were operated on for umbilical hernia; of these, 23 (51.1%) were female and 22 (48.9%) were male, with a median age of 8.5 years (range 16-69 years). Operated hernias were classified in three Groups: in Group 1 were assigned those hernias measuring the ring 1 cm or less, for Group 2 were assigned hernias measuring the ring between 1 and 3 cm, and for Group 3, were assigned hernias with a diameter larger than 3 cm. Of these 45 patients, 13 were Grade 1, 19 were Grade 2 and 13 were Grade 3. In all these cases the surgical procedure performed is detailed. Treatment for great umbilical hernias is accompanied by morbimortality. The most frequent postoperative complications were: suppuration, recidivation, and both pulmonary and venous disorders. Mortality in cases of giant hernias is within 5 to 10%, and in cases of strangulation is as high as 15%. The insertion of prosthesis or a mesh is also discussed.